Plan 365 February 2016 by Farmlands

FEBRUARY 2016

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

NUTRITION

FORAGE AND ARABLE

HORTICULTURE

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Plan 365 is a technical guide aimed at helping shareholders learn about best practice and the latest advancements in rural technology.

HORTICULTURE

Phytophthora root rot control in avocados Phytophthora root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi) is a pathogen that infects and destroys the small feeder roots of the avocado tree. Because moisture supports this pathogen, it becomes more active in soil profiles that have water drainage issues. The root phosphonate (PO3) testing technology from Hill Laboratories is a major advancement in the determination of the most suitable treatment method and dosage rate. A root sample is taken and tested for phosphonate levels. PO3 levels above 25ppm are required to control root rot in avocado trees. However, high levels of PO3, exceeding 150ppm, can burn feeder roots. The above ground visual symptoms of tree health are a direct reflection of the root health below ground. However, it’s not just a case of the sicker the tree looks, the more phosphorus acid it requires. The root phosphonate testing provides an understanding of actual tree stress levels.

Phytophthora control strategies • Soil modification Phytophthora thrives in poorly aerated and water logged soils. Modification options include installation of subsurface drains, ripping of pans and using products such as gypsum. Transformer, a new product from Oro Agri improves gravitational water flow, assisting aeration and encouraging root penetration and health. Soil pH manipulation and corrective nutrition inputs based on annual soil and leaf tests will assist – healthy trees will better tolerate disease. Caution is advised though when in a phytophthora recovery phase. High chemical inputs should be avoided, with the rule of thumb being to reduce chemical inputs around sick trees by 50 percent. Irrigation will also need to be tailored to meet the requirements of individual trees. • Low pressure injectors This is a well-established treatment method where more intensive control is required. The trees are injected with a phosphonate fungicide product such as ‘Tree-Doc’. Younger trees that are too small to be injected

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can be foliar sprayed with ‘Phosgard’. The optimal time for injecting trees is autumn, when the leaves have hardened off. This assists tree health for the winter ahead. The next best application window is in early spring. Both of these periods coincide with root flushes. However, there is not really a bad time to inject trees if they are in major decline. • ‘Stemcaps’ capsules This is a new treatment option provided by Omnia. Capsules are inserted into the trunk at a rate of two capsules per metre of diameter. The dissolving capsules provide a controlled release of phosphonate. ‘Stemcaps’ trial data shows very good efficacy. This is also a very labour efficient treatment option. Phytophthora treatment has a very important part to play in avocado tree health and is now seen as a major management tool to achieve consistent production. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by John Bird, Technical Field Officer, Farmlands Horticulture.

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HORTICULTURE

Apiculture industry a hive of activity Things are certainly buzzing in the apiculture industry in New Zealand. Hive numbers, beekeepers (both hobby and commercial) and everything related to beekeeping is on the rise and this is a good thing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; given the significant role the humble honey bee plays, in not only our agriculture but day to day lives alike. Farmlands is backing this growth by supporting the industry with stock for beekeepers in selected stores throughout the country. So why not get involved with a hive or several of your own? A single beehive can result in a delicious 30kg of honey per season, in an average year! Good years have seen this number exceeding 50kg and from a commercial standpoint, this could result in some additional income from your land. Grab a copy of the Practical Beekeeping in New Zealand book from your local Farmlands store. This book is a fantastic

starting point in getting up and running with bees and will give you all the information you need to get started. Another good place to start is with your

local beekeeping club. Visit the National Beekeepers Association website, www.nba.org.nz, to find a beekeeping club near you. Article supplied by Ecrotek.

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HORTICULTURE

RainGard — non-ionic sticker spreader What makes RainGard different? RainGard is an organic pinolene based formulation and because of its similarity to plant waxes, melds with the waxy leaf and stem surface of plants. This similarity gives RainGard its excellent sticking ability. What about re-wetting after application? The active ingredient pinolene, once it has set, does not re-wet like other non-ionic surfactants. Rain, dew and irrigation have almost no effect on the duration of activity and so RainGard is extremely effective at keeping the pesticide applied in place. Initial pesticide application can be made on wet leaf surfaces with no loss of efficacy. What causes RainGard to degrade? Ultraviolet light and oxygen are the two main factors that result in the degradation of RainGard. Other factors such as rain and wind play an insignificant role in this degradation process.

How do pinolene based stickers function?

What rate should RainGard be used at?

They form a soft, pliable film that melds with the waxy surface of plant material. This soft film forms a bridge from where the chemicals can either be re-distributed back onto the leaf surface or move into the plant tissue. Only the outer layer that is directly in contact with the atmosphere ever hardens. This layer acts as a skin that is slowly degraded through de-polymerisation over an extended period.

At 200ml/ha RainGard will provide pesticide protection for 5–7 days. At 300ml/ha RainGard offers protection for 7–10 days. The rate of RainGard used is not affected by either water rate, or the number of pesticides in the spray tank.

RainGard provides:  Better spray deposition

Does RainGard harden on the leaf surface?

 Less pesticide loss due to environmental factors

No. It is a soft film adjuvant and therefore retains its elasticity. Leaves will bend and grow while the film will expand enough to maintain its integrity.

RainGard:  Compatible with all commercially used insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and foliar fertilisers

Can RainGard be used with systemic pesticides or foliar fertilisers? Yes. Every year thousands of litres of RainGard is used in the USA with non-selective systemic herbicides (not for use with selective herbicides) such as RoundUp, Tordon, 2-4-D, Grazon and Escort for spraying Industrial Right of Ways controlling trees, shrubs and unwanted vegetation.

 Dries in 1 hour to provide wash-off protection from heavy rain and irrigation

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Key Industries.

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HORTICULTURE

An easy way to control hard-to-kill weeds If you always drive past that pesky woody weed because you don’t have the product or equipment needed to apply it at that precise moment in time then Vigilant™ II herbicide may be a solution. Vigilant II is a ready to use gel developed especially to control a wide range of woody weeds and trees, scrambling weeds, vines and general broadleaf weeds, making it perfect to have on hand. Formulated as a gel, Vigilant II is ready to use straight out of the pack. There’s no need to deal with messy chemicals, plus it has the added advantage of limited user exposure thanks to the novel applicator bottle. Simply apply the gel to freshly cut stems or foliage and Vigilant II will take care of the rest! It comes in an easy to use, re-fillable

and re-useable 240ml brush applicator bottle, which can treat approximately 120 stems (average stem diameter of 25mm applied as a 5mm dollop of gel). Larger 1.8kg and 20kg bulk packs are available with a hand pump to make refilling the applicator pack quick, easy and cost effective. “Vigilant II contains the powerful active ingredients aminopyralid and picloram that deliver fast brownout and knockdown of target plants with a wide range of weeds controlled,” DOW New Zealand Marketing Manager Nick Koch, says. “Vigilant II can be used year round, although effectiveness may decrease slightly in colder months and cooler climates. It can be used via a number of different application techniques including cut stump, scrape and paint and drill and fill.”

This innovative product is a convenient way of controlling noxious and environmental weeds. Weed management professionals, councils/ weed authorities, landcare groups and farmers will find Vigilant II the ideal tool for those hard-to-kill weeds. Weeds controlled include: agapanthus, barberry, broom, buddleia, banana passionfruit, blue morning glory, climbing spindleberry, cotoneaster, elaeagnus, elder, gorse, greater bindweed, hawthorn, honeysuckle (Himalayan, Japanese), ivy, (Cape, English, German), jasmine, Kahili ginger, matagouri, pine, old man’s beard, poplar, privet, sweet briar, tutu, vines, wattle, willow, woolly nightshade and other hard to kill weeds. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by DOW AgroSciences.

| Vigilant ll applied to cut stumps.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Risk of facial eczema on the rise Facial eczema occurs in warm, moist conditions, when the fungus Pithomyces chartarum rapidly multiplies throughout the pasture. The fungal spores contain a toxin called sporidesmin. The production of sporidesmin causes considerable stress to young stock and dairy cows once ingested. Cows in particular become very sensitive to light, skin becomes inflamed and milk production drops dramatically. It’s time to act now! Pasture spraying If you farm in an area with frequency or prior history of facial eczema then the best approach should be to apply an approved pasture spray to kill the spores before they start breeding. Pasture fungicides’ active ingredient is either carbendazim or thiophanatemethyl, which when applied at label rates stop the growth of the fungus that causes facial eczema. Timing of application is important and product should be applied prior to the danger period. As soon as pasture spore levels hit 20,000 per gram of pasture, spray your pastures immediately.

INTENSE TRIFECTA CHELATE 20L • Contains three essential elements, cobalt, copper and selenium.

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Inline dispensers

Summer trace element programme

Inline dispensers provide the mechanism to dose stock drinking water with the required amount of zinc sulphate (heptahydrate). Every litre of water has the desired amount of zinc treatment to help protect the liver from the toxins. Dispensers, like Dosatrons, are simple to install, very easy to use and cut out the need to drench when set up properly. Cows consume a significant amount of water during the summer, so this is an effective method to address the needs of the animal. Start dosing zinc sulphate at low rates before the onset of facial eczema and increase as the spores rise. Having zinc in the diet, coupled with pasture spraying, provides a two-prong approach to fight this disease.

When dosing high rates of zinc sulphate, you will need to protect your copper status in dairy cows. Ensure you implement a trace element programme that contains a chelated copper source as the ingredients are chemically stable. During hot, dry conditions pasture is lacking in essential trace elements like cobalt, selenium and iodine, so supplementation is imperative if you want to support milk production. The risk of facial eczema is on the rise, so it’s time to develop your plan of attack. Farmlands has a range of options and strategies to combat this terrible disease. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Bell-Booth.

Masking and flavouring agents Animals may take time to adapt to the taste of the zinc sulphate present in their water, as the product is very bitter. To ensure cows maintain their water intake, add a masking agent to disguise the taste of zinc and keep your animals drinking.

DOSATRON 8000 • Labour saving device. • Provides option to start zinc treatment before the onset of facial eczema.

CARAMILLO 20L

• Disguises the bitter taste of zinc in stock drinking water and drenches. • Encourages animals to maintain water intake.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Improve early season lamb performance When feed is tight and lambs are competing with ewes for feed, early weaning is generally recommended. Early weaning, especially onto pasture, usually results in lighter lambs with slower growth rates. Poor pasture quality is the most common reason for stock growing slower than farmers expect over summer and autumn. However, when pasture quality is taken into consideration the next biggest cause of ill-thrift is parasitism – around 45 percent of the time in young sheep1. To get lambs off the farm as quickly as possible under these situations you have two options. You can either sell lambs store, or protect them from worm challenge, which can grow them faster. Using a drench that has persistent activity (kills incoming parasite larvae for longer) soon after weaning can help you do this. Cydectin® Oral Drench for Sheep, which has 35 days of persistent activity against Barber’s Pole, has been shown to grow lambs 60 percent faster2

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than lambs treated with a product that does not have persistent activity. Getting your lambs off the farm quicker can free up more feed for light ewes before they go to the ram or help get hoggets up to weight for mating. The persistent activity of Cydectin also makes it the ideal product for preventing Barber’s Pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) in those areas where this particular parasite is likely to thrive. Although it can be present all year round, it becomes a significant problem when weather conditions favour its rapid development (warm, humid conditions, especially after a dry spell). Preventing its build up on pasture at this time will minimise the damage it does to sheep and is the key to its control. With the use of any drench comes the risk of drench resistance. Fortunately at this time there have not been any reported cases of Barber’s Pole resistance to moxidectin in New Zealand3 (the active ingredient within Cydectin). To reduce the risk of drench resistance when you use Cydectin, ensure your next lamb drench is a fully effective drench. When you do not know the drench resistance status of your property, this “exit” drench should ideally be one containing a new drench active. Another technique you can also use is to ensure that any resistant worms that may survive the drench are diluted on pasture with parasites susceptible to the drench you are using (refugia). This could be achieved

PURCHA S CYDECTIN E TWO 15L DRENCH FOR SHEEP AN D RECEIV EA

$50 NOE LEEMING L CRED O

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by leaving some lambs un-drenched, running un-drenched ewes with the lambs or running un-drenched ewes behind lambs on rotation. To ensure your lambs grow 60 percent faster this season, add Cydectin Oral for Sheep to your drenching programme. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Zoetis. 1. Beef + Lamb. R&D BRIEF 124: ILL-THRIFT IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES AND MEASURING THEIR EFFECTS. 2. Murphy AW, McDonald R. A comparison of production responses in lambs drenched with moxidectin or ivermectin. New Zealand Journal of agricultural research. 1994, vol 38: 221-224. 3. Gribbles Veterinary Laboratories. Faecal egg count reduction test data 2012-13. CYDECTIN® is a registered trade mark of Zoetis Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACVM No. A6204.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Effective drenching for calves Times are tough on dairy farms at the moment, so it’s important to select the right drench that is both effective and affordable. Target weights are crucial for dairy calves, as calves that do not achieve their growth rates may not become high producing dairy cows. To ensure that calves reach these weights, farmers need to monitor stock regularly. Or, if at grazing, ensure the graziers keep a close eye on their performance. Using a drench with combination actives reduces the development of drench resistance. Actives in drench such as levamisole and abamectin work in different ways, so the use of both in combination gives excellent results – without the need to pay for a triple or a pour-on.

Level of worm larvae on pasture

Using an oral drench for as long as possible in dairy calves is ideal and the use of a cattle hook means the process is simple, fast and doesn’t take much longer than using a pour-on. Oral drenches are also more cost effective as some pour-ons can be 3-4 times the cost of an oral.

COOPERS Converge is a low dose (1ml/10kg liveweight) combination of abamectin and levamisole with a unique formulation that makes it ideal for calves. Converge is cost effective and deadly against Cooperia and Ostertagia, two of the nastiest parasites in cattle up to 12 months of age. NB – calves should be more than 100kg when using a product containing abamectin. Young calves that are still on milk do not need drenching. For more information, please contact your Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Coopers.

Spring

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Summer

Autumn

Winter

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Preventing flystrike this summer The length of protection from flystrike following dipping is dependent on many factors. Follow these guidelines to help you get the best protection. Saturate the wool to skin level in at-risk areas (see Figure 1). Adequate saturation is crucial to get the optimum protection from dip products and this can be checked with an indelible pencil or paper.

| Figure 1: Risk of flystrike by area.

Apply clean dipwash to clean sheep. Contaminants in the fleece or dipwash, including skin and wool infections, dirt, faeces and dags, will bind and inactivate dipwash chemicals.

Don’t forget lice treatment on short wool is best. You should plan your lice treatment to coincide with shearing – no matter what time of year. It is better to treat for lice in short wool and then retreat for flies in longer wool as required. Make sheep less attractive to If you do not use a pour-on off-shears blowflies. Odours are the main for lice, such as MAGNUM® then make attractant for blowflies. Important fly sure your summer fly dipping chemical attractants include dags, wounds, also controls lice. This will prevent a fleece and skin infections, fleece build-up of numbers causing outbreaks moisture, skin folds, pizzle or foot During warm months, flystrike incidence depends mostly on the presence of in theblowfl winter, thearea. woolAs is long rot. Dags aresheep, the most susceptible notimportant on the density of sheep ieswhen in the few and as 7–10 blowfl ies per hectare are enough to cause extensive fl ystrike if susceptible sheep more difficult to treat effectively. (see Figure 2). are present. A number of factors act to make a sheep more attractive to flies and For more information, please talk Practice Integrated Pest susceptible to flystrike: to the friendly team at your local Management. In conjunction with Soiling around the crutch (dags) Farmlands store. dipping, other management tools Faecal and urine staining occurs around the crutch area, especially in lambs. This should be utilised to decrease the risk Article supplied by Coopers. predisposes the animals to breech strike (Figure 1). Larvae hatching from eggs laid of flystrike. These include shearing, onto dags will feed in the dags before moving onto the skin to feed. Urine staining References: reducing dags (crutching, around the pizzle of ramsfeed andchanges wethers can 1. also be attractive to blowfl ies. Australian Wool Innovation, CSIRO & DAFWA. and parasite control), avoiding highwww.wool.com. ACVM No. A7704 ® Registered trademark. risk paddocks and disposing of dead 3 Figure 1: Australian Dag Scoring System showing relative Schering-Plough risk of ﬂystrike in Animal lambs associated Health Ltd.with dag score . animals quickly.

Flystrike risk factors

Dip 3-5 weeks after shearing. Aim to dip with no longer than 8 weeks (fine breeds) to 12 weeks’ (coarse breeds) wool growth. The longer and finer the wool, the more difficult it is to wet to the skin and the more dipwash required. Two litres of dipwash per animal should be used when jetting. Use the right equipment, correctly. Automatic jetting races can achieve good results for fly control. As they do not saturate the entire body, use saturation (plunge or shower) dipping if combined lice control is required. If using a jetting race, use a lice pour-on off-shears to ensure lice are controlled.

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A lamb with dag score 2 is twice as likely to be struck as a dag score 1 lamb.

A lamb with dag score 5 is 15 times as likely to be struck as a dag score 1 lamb.

| Figure 2: Relative risk of flystrike and dag score.1

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NUTRITION

Growing heifers through the summer There is a huge focus on getting calf rearing practices spot on up to weaning and rightly so, as this is an extremely important time for calves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; getting a good start to life is the key to productive success. During the summer months however, there is a risk of losing all of the hard work that has gone into rearing calves if growth rates are not adequately maintained. Young stock are the most important stock class on the farm in terms of your future production potential, so they should be first in line for supplementary feeds over the summer months.

deficit and poor quality feed, as soil

Calves that have been grown well up

to meet growth targets regardless

vitamins that can be sub-optimal in

of declining pasture quality and/or

straights and when fed in a larger nut

quantity over the summer is to offer

form in the paddock minimal wastage

calves supplementary feed post

is observed.

weaning through to mating when

Most importantly you need to be able

necessary â&#x20AC;&#x201D; particularly if you notice

to identify the period when the heifers

that the calves are not putting on the

are not growing adequately, so extra

weight that they need to. Straights such

feed can be directed into them as

as soya bean hulls or palm kernel meal

required. Keeping your finger on the

can be a good way to fill a feed deficit

pulse in terms of your young stock is

and as they are low in starch, they can

vital. Weighing calves regularly can

safely be fed out in paddock troughs.

be helpful or height can be correlated

For more targeted supplementation

to liveweight and can provide a useful

a higher protein, grain based pelleted

indication of how calves are doing.

to weaning can slip behind growth targets during their first summer if pasture supply is limited or pasture quality declines. This can have an impact on fertility when it comes to first mating, as one of the main triggers of puberty is body weight rather than age. If an underweight calf does manage to get pregnant, milk production in its first lactation will be sacrificed in order for the animal to keep growing. Growing animals consistently is also more efficient than growing animals intermittently through periods of below target growth rates followed by periods of catch-up growth. Catch-up growth may not always be the lean muscle and frame growth desired and excess fat deposition can be a problem. Summer can be a period of pasture

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moisture and excessive heat limits pasture growth and encourages reproductive, stemmy growth with a reduced feed quality (in terms of both energy and protein), plus the double whammy of also decreasing feed intake potential due to its bulky nature. Failure to meet growth targets over summer can put young animals at risk going into autumn, where excess protein relative to energy can limit calf growth and weather conditions may be poor. One way to ensure you continue

feed is a great option, particularly if protein in the pasture is limited as is

Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

often the case over summer. Growing animals have an elevated demand for protein and if not delivered in the diet lean muscle growth is limited. Pelleted feeds also contain added minerals and

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NUTRITION

Understanding the ruminant Ruminant animals have evolved to get nutritive value out of very high fibre feeds that monogastric animals such as pigs and humans cannot. Ruminant animals have four stomach compartments and a majority of the digestion of feed that takes place is through billions of microscopic, single

celled living organisms known as microorganisms (MO) that reside in the rumen. Ruminant animals also ruminate, i.e. ‘chew the cud’. This means that they bring back up feed they have previously eaten and re-chew it, to break it down further and increase the surface area available for MOs to access the feed while in the rumen. This amazing and

complex digestive system allows the production of high quality proteins such as milk and meat from high fibre feeds that most of the animal world cannot utilise. Members of the ruminant family include cows, sheep, goats, deer, elk, buffalo, giraffes and camels. The four stomach compartments of a ruminant Rumen The largest and most important stomach compartment. The rumen is where the feeds that are consumed are fermented by MOs. It is a huge compartment that can be up to 200 litres in size (in pasture grazing cattle). Absorption of nutrients also occurs here. The rumen wall is covered in finger like projections called papillae, which increase the surface area to aid in absorption of nutrients. Reticulum Important for feed particle size sorting and rumination (brings larger feed particles back into the mouth for rechewing and moves smaller particle sizes to the next compartments). Omasum Water and electrolytes are absorbed here. Abomasum The ‘true’ stomach, with a lower pH than the rumen. This stomach compartment is similar to a human’s stomach – although we don’t have three other compartments preceding ours! Ruminants have a symbiotic

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NUTRITION

relationship with the microorganisms that reside in their rumen, which include bacteria, protozoa and fungi. The ruminant animal is the host animal – it gives MOs an environment to live in that suits their needs – it’s warm, dark, moist, anaerobic (free of oxygen), the ruminant works hard to try and maintain a pH around 6 and there is a constant supply of food for them. In return for giving the MOs their ideal living arrangements, the MOs help the host animal out by digesting consumed feeds. Using specialist enzymes that can break down the cell wall components of high fibre feed such as cellulose and hemi-cellulose, MOs can convert fibre into a form of energy that is absorbable by the host animal (volatile fatty acids). The MOs also provide the host animal with a protein source. MOs incorporate amino acids and non-protein-nitrogen (NPN, the form most forage protein is in) into their own body protein and when they are eventually washed through to lower parts of the digestive tract, the MOs themselves can be digested by the host animal and absorbed as a protein source (MOs have a protein content of – 70 percent). When feeding the ruminant, you are really feeding the billions of MOs that reside in the rumen. When the rumen MOs are functioning well

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LARGE INTESTINE

SMALL INTESTINE

RUMEN

U AG

ESO

OMASUM RETICULUM

ABOMASUM

and have everything they need to thrive and grow, the rumen will be functioning optimally, which means that feed will get processed more efficiently and the ruminant will be able to consume more feed. When the conditions are not optimal for the MOs they will not be functioning optimally and the host ruminant animal’s dry matter intake may fall, which can cause a drop in production. The MOs could possibly be missing energy, protein, specific vitamins or elements required for growth and reproduction, or the

rumen may be too acidic or alkaline for their liking. The MOs also take time to adjust to new diets introduced to a ruminant animal, which is why it is so important to transition ruminants onto new feeds slowly. Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

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NUTRITION

Alternative forage sources — feeding horses when pasture is low The equine gastrointestinal tract and its unique structure is specifically designed for forage to be the foundation of all horses’ diets. Horses are classified as non-ruminant hindgut fermenters and the population of microbes that reside in their hindgut is reliant on a constant intake of fibre. Inadequate forage intake can lead to digestive conditions such as gastric ulcers, as well as hindgut acidosis as a result of microbial imbalances. To avoid this, it is recommended that all horses consume at least 1.5 percent of their body weight in forage each day. Given free access to adequate forage, average consumption rates are between 1.8 percent and 2.2 percent of body weight, with some horses with significantly high energy requirements consuming up to 5 percent of their body weight daily. Given its structure, the most ideal environment for an equine to promote a healthy digestive tract is in a paddock with constant access to pasture. However, climate and seasonal changes mean that this situation is not always possible. While the higher rainfall and warmer temperatures in the North Island can mean less risk of pasture shortage over summer, the South Island is often susceptible to drying off and pasture becoming scarce, especially during times of heavy stocking rates. When this occurs, supplementary forage is essential for equine weight management, as well as digestive tract

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health and there are a variety of

While there are many benefits to these

options available. Larger farms

forages, management is essential to

are likely to have the option of hay

ensure freshness and when opened,

produced from their own property and

bales must be used within a few

production and supply will have to be

days. Toxicity through feeding poor

planned carefully, to ensure all stock

quality baleage or haylage can pose

are catered for over summer. Smaller

a significant risk to equine health and

farms and lifestyle blocks are likely

care must be taken to avoid feeding

to require hay to be bought and this

out mouldy or spoiled ensiled forages.

should also be planned in advance.

Additional fibre can also be included

Common hay types suitable for

in the equine diet through the use of

horses in New Zealand include lucerne,

various byproducts and beet pulp and

or blends of rye, meadow or clover.

soy hulls are ideal. The high levels of

The value of hay can vary widely

digestible fibre and energy in both

according to the composition of the

these feed ingredients enables them

grasses, time and climatic conditions

to be classified as ‘super fibres’ and

during hay making and other factors.

they have significant benefits

While lucerne is generally highest in

to digestive health.

energy, protein and calcium, a high

Grain and concentrate feeds are

clover content will increase the

ideal energy sources for assisting

nutrient content of the hay and good

with weight maintenance and can be

quality clover hay can approach

introduced or increased if currently

lucerne hay in value.

being fed to working horses. However,

In recent years, ensiled grasses

it is important that grain is fed as

such as baleage and haylage have

well as adequate forage and not as a

also gained popularity as alternative

replacement, as this can increase the

forage sources when pasture is low.

risk of digestive conditions also.

This involves grass being ‘wilted’

The alternative forage selected in

before being baled and wrapped to

times of low pasture will depend

prevent contact with air and allow

on the individual farm’s situation,

the fermentation and preservation

stocking rates, budgets and availability.

process to occur. Where hay is left to

However, planning is essential to

dry, the grass used for ensiled forages

ensure adequate forage is available to

is baled and wrapped much earlier

all horses over the period of drought.

after cutting, resulting in a higher moisture content and nutritional value.

Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Kill tough broadleaf weeds before you sow this autumn Good weed control before you sow your autumn pasture is essential to maximise yield and persistency. Unfortunately, many opportunities are missed when spraying out old paddocks as the common thought is “Glyphosate will control all the weeds in that paddock”. This is not always true and the last thing you want to see coming through in your new grass is unwanted weeds.

So this autumn before establishing new pastures, ensure you add DuPont Granstar® 75DF or Harmony® 50SG to your glyphosate (and penetrant) to improve the control of unwanted weeds such as old man docks, buttercup, yarrow, thistles, clover (low value native) and many other broadleaf weeds.

It is important to take the opportunity to remove these difficult weeds before sowing new pasture, as the extra investment is negligible compared to the cost of controlling difficult weeds post-emergence and the subsequent loss of production.

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What are the ideal conditions for application? Harmony® 50SG is absorbed through the leaf foliage and therefore target weeds need to be actively growing and have a good, healthy leaf area.

•

Granstar® is primarily absorbed through the foliage and therefore target weeds need to be actively growing with good leaf area. If spraying in the autumn, wait until the first significant rains, unless the paddock has been irrigated.

For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by DuPont.

GRANSTAR • For the control of certain broadleaf weeds in conservation tillage programmes, barley, oats and wheat. • Eliminate competitive weeds to establish a quality crop and promote moisture conservation. • Grazing and/or cultivation can follow after 3 days and drilling after 14 days. • Rainfast within 1 hour when used with Input® penetrant. • Granstar® herbicide can be used in hormone sensitive areas.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Pasture renewal — get it right and reap the rewards Successive dry summers have resulted in damaged pastures all over New Zealand. While some will return to their former productivity, others will need to be renewed. The advantage of re-grassing is that it allows the introduction of improved cultivars, which can boost productivity and profitability – as long as the process is carried out correctly. Murray Lane, Ballance Agri-Nutrients Forage Specialist, stresses the importance of doing the job correctly and notes that it all starts with paddock selection. “It is about selecting paddocks for the right reasons, be that insect problems, like grass grub or black beetle, or something else,” he says. Visual assessment is not

the best measure, as the paddocks that look the worst might still be performing satisfactorily – objective performance measures work best. If poor fertility or low pH is the cause of poor performance then this will need correcting before the new pasture goes in. In fact, lime needs to go on well before planting occurs. “Now is the time to do soil testing to work out your capital fertiliser requirements and to put lime on for next season’s planting,” Murray advises. “There is no sense in trying to put lime on the day before the seed goes in the ground, as it takes months to have any influence.” You also need to get a good kill of existing vegetation. “In a drought, plants might

look dead but they are generally very alive, unless there has been insect pressure,” Murray says. “So you have to wait for pastures to recover before you can spray them. Kill it then drill it – and when you drill, make sure you’ve got your contractor drilling treated seed with live endophyte.” When drilling your pasture, a starter fertiliser will support seedlings so that they get the best possible start and can outstrip weeds. “When you are drilling, get in there with DAP at 100-150kg per hectare – it is just the sensible thing to do,” Murray says. “You are going to put phosphorus on anyway, so why not put it on when it will give you the greatest benefit?” Now is also a good time to assess the success of last season’s planting. “Challenge what you have done and decide whether you could have done anything differently,” Murray advises. “People still fail to control perennial weeds because they start in the spring, not the autumn. While one autumn spray is better than none, two autumn sprays and a fallow is even better than one autumn spray.” For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Controlling weeds gives greater pasture production Good quality pasture is the most valuable asset for New Zealand pastoral farmers. Whether for dairy, sheep or beef production, good quality, high producing pasture is the key to a successful and profitable farming operation. Heading into summer and autumn, New Zealand is looking dry, so water should not be wasted on weeds. While there are many herbicide options available to the nation’s farmers, few are suitable for young, establishing swards. Using the wrong herbicide often leads to poor production through loss of clover. Knowing what weeds to expect and how to best eliminate them is the key to increasing production from your new pasture.

Pulsar® from BASF is one of the best and most effective options available. It has a cost effective co-formulation of MCPB and bentazone (the active in Basagran®), which widens the weed control spectrum and enhances the effects of MCPB. Pulsar controls a wide range of weeds including storksbill, fathen, mayweeds, black nightshade, field madder, cornbind, wild turnip and especially thistles (including phenoxy resistant ones). Pulsar gives best results when applied to actively growing weeds. Weeds must have germinated before spraying and be at no more than the 4-6 leaf stage. Clovers should be at least at the 1-2 trifoliate (true) leaf stage and grasses at the two leaf stage.

Pulsar has contact activity only, so there is no residual activity to affect crop rotations. Best results with Pulsar will be achieved when the following guidelines are followed: • Timing is critical – weeds must be small and actively growing. • Properly calibrated spray equipment applying a minimum water rate of 300L/ha. Use up to 500L/ha if possible. • Pulsar should be used with a sticker/ spreader in pasture. • Stinking mayweed must be controlled in early autumn. Weeds that have germinated in autumn and over wintered will not be controlled in spring. • Pulsar must not be used if frosts are expected. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by BASF.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Protecting forage brassica yields Insect pests can reduce forage brassica yields significantly, with diamondback moth and aphids tending to attack crops under stress in the autumn. The broad spectrum insecticide Ampligo® combined with Pirimor® provides exceptional control of diamondback moth and aphids. Applied at just 100ml/ha, Ampligo controls the caterpillars of white butterfly and diamondback moth in addition to leaf miner, nysius and cutworm. Ampligo also gives some control of aphids but if aphid pressure is high and the brassica crop is tall and/or dense, the addition of Pirimor (200–250g/ha) is recommended with its strong fumigant activity. Insect populations can multiply very quickly with high temperatures and dry weather conditions, so you need to get on top of insects quickly. In particular, once aphids first appear, a delay of as little as 2 to 3 days in spraying can make the difference between a good or poor result. Spray coverage is also very important, as Ampligo needs to directly contact insects for best results. This means using water volumes of up to 300–400L/ha if the crop is tall and dense and insects are in the crop canopy. The benefit of adding Pirimor is its fumigant

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| Spray aphids early to avoid a population explosion.

activity, to reach aphids hidden inside the crop canopy. The addition of a non-ionic wetting agent is required with both Ampligo and Pirimor to improve leaf coverage.

Depending on insect pressure, up to three applications of Ampligo can be made in a season at 2 to 3 week intervals. It is available in 1L and 5L containers (enough for 10 and 50 hectares respectively).

Ampligo and Pirimor both have translaminar movement in the leaf, which means they also have some activity on insects on the underside of treated leaves. However, direct spray contact with insects is best for optimum results.

Pirimor is a fast-acting insecticide, with short residual activity and is active against aphids only. It is now available in a 5kg bulk pack (enough for up to 25ha) as well as a 1kg pack.

Ampligo offers longer lasting control of caterpillars than traditional organophosphate or synthetic pyrethroid insecticides and its low use rate (100ml/ha) makes it very convenient to use, with fewer containers to handle and dispose of. Unlike organophosphates, Ampligo has no unpleasant smell when being sprayed.

For more information on insect pest control in forage brassica crops with Ampligo and Pirimor, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Syngenta.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Treated seed delivers quality grass for low cost It may only be a small additional cost per hectare when establishing new pasture but an effective seed coating is proving to be an excellent and economical insurance policy – not only preventing crop infestation but putting you in the best position to get a yield well over what an unprotected grass sward could deliver. A field trial conducted by Farmlands Rangiora Technical Field Officer Jenna Sutton has confirmed just how valuable seed coating can be to successful crop establishment. Jenna’s trial with Rangiora farmer Geoff Winter comprised two 5ha lots of land planted into perennial ryegrass, coming out of peas. The outside four rounds of each paddock were sown with seed treated with the insecticide Poncho®, from Bayer and the rest of the seed sown was untreated. The trial outcome included photographs and plate meter dry matter amounts collected by Jenna, along with eye observations of the grass establishment. Dry matter results at one measurement indicated the treated Poncho grass delivered an additional 67 percent more dry matter per hectare in the treated pasture, compared to untreated. Jenna says even without comparing the dry matter production, it became obvious the coated seed ensured a crop that established more uniformly and achieved the “Redband” gumboot height more rapidly. Jenna says sometimes farmers hesitating about whether or not to sow with treated

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seed will stumble over the initial additional cost it brings to sowing a new grass. "Typically seed treating will add 20-30 percent to the per kilogram cost of the grass/clover seed used – but when you look at the cost of treatment against the total cost per hectare of sowing grass seed, it is a relatively cheap protection.” She cites a typical cost to establish a perennial pasture at $1,000 a hectare, with the seed component only $230-$340 a hectare. The additional cost of $100 a hectare to treat the seed is minimal against that total establishment cost. "And you could be looking at gaining an additional 30 percent of dry matter production from the treated pasture, especially where you are going from grass to grass and stem weevil pressure in particular is already there. The additional dry matter quickly recovers the treatment cost in additional feed.” She says the need for treatment is greater for farmers sowing a grass sward that also includes less dominant herbs like chicory and plantain. “It becomes extremely important to get a quick and even establishment with the sown species providing the bulk of the competition, rather than weed species providing that competition as you are extremely limited on herbicide options to clean up those paddocks when herbs are also sown. “There is a level of insect pressure in every paddock. Whilst you may not visually notice damage in small to medium pressure situations (as it can be hard to determine in grass), every plant or tiller that is not functioning at its maximum potential is

simply a situation where any weeds present will out-compete your new grass. Then you have to ask yourself. why you are renewing in the first place? The decision becomes pretty clear.” Jenna says grown pasture is still one of the cheapest forms of feed available to a farmer and every extra kilogram of dry matter it produces represents a kg less that needs to be sourced elsewhere, often at significantly greater cost than the small c/kgDM cost to treat seed. She says seed treatment is not a hard sell to anyone who has experienced a crop failure from stem weevil or grub infestation. She believes for farmers in the North Island, with milder temperatures and a wider range of insect pests, the potential for extra growth and the case for treating seed is even more compelling. “I was highly impressed with the results we had from this trial. Dealing with crops and new pastures all the time, I have seen enough failures to know why and when seed treatment is a good idea. “The visually different results surprised me and it was a good reminder of why I recommend what I do when it comes to successfully establishing a good grass crop.” For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Bayer New Zealand Limited. Poncho is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Undersowing a cost effective option Undersowing an Italian ryegrass into a failing pasture is a cost effective option that increases plant density, lengthens the life of the pasture and provides additional production. Asset AR37 provides an ideal option for undersowing into thinning or run-out pastures, with improved insect protection leading to increased second year production. “Summer conditions and mild winters, particularly in the northern half of the North Island, have resulted in high numbers of black beetle and Argentine stem weevil. This can have a huge impact on the success of undersowing,” Agricom’s Product Development Manager Allister Moorhead says.

Most pastures chosen for undersowing have high insect pressures, which can be a contributor to the paddocks thinning out in the first place. “Endophyte choice is becoming more and more important in ensuring production and persistence are maximised and that the effects of black beetle are reduced. Endophyte choice, not only when undersowing, is a big factor when it comes to persistence and the AR37 endophyte has resistance to more pasture insects than any other ryegrass endophyte commercially available,” Allister says. Italians are the best choice for undersowing, as they are fast to establish and have increased vigour in cooler autumn conditions when compared to

perennial undersowing options. This results in fast accumulation of autumn dry matter and a quick return to grazing. “Asset was the first Italian available with the AR37 endophyte and can be successfully undersown at rates lower than its tetraploid equivalents. It’s also a dense plant, which is a useful characteristic when grazing big cows on wet paddocks,” Allister says. “We recommend a rate of between 12–15kg/ha when undersowing Asset AR37 into pastures.” Asset AR37 is regularly surviving into the second winter, which makes it an ideal 18 month grass. Paddocks can be carried through that extra winter before rotating into cropping phases such as chicory, fodder beet or maize. Under normal grazing management Asset AR37 will maintain a quality leafy pasture throughout late summer, with very low aftermath heading when compared to traditional Italian ryegrass. March and April are still appropriate for late Italian ryegrass and annual ryegrass plantings, however as time progresses through these months, forage cereals become a more practical option. “Undersowing is a simple management tool that can have great success. The key to achieving good results is to use treated seed and choose a cultivar with AR37 endophyte. Endophyte choice is critical to achieve gains over winter and spring and providing the chance of surviving through to a second winter,” Allister says. Article supplied by Agricom.

| Photo showing Asset AR37 (right) with excellent tolerance to Argentine stem weevil through the autumn, versus another popular Italian ryegrass (left).

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Start off on the right cocksfoot With pasture renewal, production is a key consideration but persistency and palatability are equally important. These should be considered when planning permanent re-pasturing, to help ensure longevity, performance and animal productivity. One way to help build resilience in a perennial ryegrass pasture mix is to add an additional grass species. One such species is new generation cocksfoot, which can be used together with traditional perennial ryegrass with the sowing rates adjusted accordingly. Seed Force’s new generation cocksfoot breeding programme offers improved genetics while still retaining cocksfoot’s beneficial persistence and summer performance. New generation cocksfoot SF Greenly ll features upright growth habits to ensure it is compatible with legumes, while its soft leaves help ensure palatability. SF Greenly ll new generation cocksfoot has been performing well when added to perennial pastures on a number of properties, in a wide range of environments, nationwide. Farming in a notoriously dry region means that Waipukurau farmer Andrew Alexander is keen on pastures that can hang on

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in a dry spell and summer crops for his lambs. He and wife Gayleen run a 260 hectare sheep and bull beef operation, all finishing and trading stock, on what is predominantly limestone country. When they purchased the property, they were new to the area and the farm had previously been leased. They embarked on a programme to improve the pastures. “In the autumn I like to mix in, as part of a perennial mix, SF Stellar perennial ryegrass and SF Greenly ll new generation cocksfoot. We put in approximately 15ha of that a year.” He is pleased with the results from the Stellar/Greenly mix and says the cocksfoot in the mix persists well, hanging on better in the summer dry.

their permanent pasture mix. “It seems to be performing well – we’re going to carry on using it,” Chris says. They are mixing SF Greenly ll new generation cocksfoot with their permanent pastures and, on the lighter blocks, are using a higher rate of Greenly to ryegrass, along with SF Rossi red clover and some plantain. “It’s looking good – very strong – we’re very pleased with that. We’re always trying to increase our production by using new varieties rather than straight ryegrass and clover mixes. Persistence is a big problem here with ryegrass paddocks. Another one of the reasons for using Greenly is to combat grass grub.” Article supplied by Seed Force.

Chris Douglas and his son Henry farm at Te Anau, where they run the Monymusk Polled Hereford Stud, as well as a commercial ewe flock of 3,500 Romney breeding ewes and 850 hoggets. They use a 50/50 mix of SF Stellar perennial ryegrass and other cultivars for

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Focus on eye safety Eyes are a very vulnerable part of our anatomy, so it is important to protect them from the myriad of workplace hazards they are exposed to on a daily basis in the rural environment. The subsequent result of an eye injury can vary from minor inconvenience and discomfort to significant ongoing lifetime health issues including loss of sight. In the rural environment there are a multitude of hazards that our eyes face every day, from the long-term effects of damage by the sun to objects hitting or entering the eye (for chemical splash risk a goggle must be worn that is approved for splash protection). An investment in protecting the eyes with an approved safety spectacle or goggle is recommended and should become part of the work day (a good habit). The first

thing to note when purchasing a safety spectacle is that it needs to be approved. The most recognised standard in New Zealand is the AS/NZS 1337.2010.1 standard – this means they have been tested to medium impact conditions amongst other things and are fit for purpose. An easy way to see if your current safety spectacles comply is to look for the initial “I” on the lens. If it doesn’t then it most likely isn’t an approved safety spectacle. NB – a sunglass is designed to help protect your eyes from ultraviolet light damage and glare but it is not an approved safety spectacle for medium impact, so your eyes are still at risk from other hazards. A safety spectacle that is not comfortable to wear will spend more time off your face than on and so exposes your eyes

to hazards. Choose a safety spectacle carefully – try the different styles on and find one that feels comfortable to wear. Be conscious that it may also need to fit in with other personal safety protection, such as hearing protection. The safety spectacle you choose may need to cover a variety of hazards, so selecting the correct one that provides this level of protection is important. Any safety spectacle that is not looked after will scratch and deteriorate. Looking after them can be as simple as correct storage and a regular clean to remove smudges, sweat and other contaminants. Apart from the need for distortion free lenses, you may also need a good anti-fog/ anti-scratch lens coating on both sides for cold mornings, humid conditions and personal body temperature issues to optimise the lens for full visibility. You may also need a lens other than just a clear or smoke. For instance, an approved safety polarised lens can significantly reduce glare further than a smoke lens, protecting the long-term health of your eye and reducing glare hazards that could present a safety issue. You will find a complete range of Bollé safety eyewear stocked at your local Farmlands store and staff who can assist you with the correct product for your needs. Article supplied by Bollé New Zealand.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Understanding rural pressure pipe What types of pipe you have underground in your stock water system can be as complex as a town’s water supply infrastructure network. It is important to understand what is where for the purposes of repair, planned maintenance, upgrading and the differences between these various pipes and their relative features and benefits. The first reticulated stock water schemes were built with galvanised steel pipe. Galvanised pipes came in 6.5 metre lengths, had threaded joints, were relatively expensive and vulnerable to corrosion. Nowadays, the use of galvanised pipe is limited to structural head-works and very high pressure applications. PVC pressure pipe in 6 metre lengths started to be used on-farm in the 1960s. Being cheaper, lighter, easier to handle and install, with solvent cement joints rather than threaded joints, this was a major technology step-change, making reticulated stock water schemes more affordable. Today, PVC pressure pipe is commonly used for larger diameter pipe (100mm plus) and structural pipework e.g. above ground pipework in the dairy shed, etc. The 1970s saw the next major change, with the introduction of coiled polyethylene (PE) pressure pipe. Flexible PE pipe didn’t require fittings to accommodate changes of direction and being available in 200 metre coils removed a potential leak every 6 metres. Coiled PE pipe became and

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still remains the pressure pipe of choice on-farm. Early PE pipes, Low Density (LDPE) and High Density (HDPE), were manufactured from simple, short chain polymers with relatively few links. High-pressure HDPE pipe was extremely hard, causing it to be difficult to uncoil and install, which is why it isn’t commonly used today. On the other hand, LDPE pipe was relatively “soft”, had a low pressure rating and required a very thick wall-section to meet this pressure requirement, compromising the pipe’s hydraulic efficiency. LDPE pipe was also susceptible to environmental stress cracking, causing pipe failure when the lines were used to deliver bloat remedies. LDPE pipe is still a very commonly used rural pressure pipe. Typically it’s sold for non-designed systems, pipe replacement and lateral trough connections. Given the pipe’s inherently poor hydraulic performance, it is almost unheard of for a professional design engineer to specify LDPE for a new stock water scheme. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw the introduction of the next generation of PE pressure pipes, manufactured to internationally recognised ISO standards, utilising polymers with complex molecular links. This increased the pipe strength and improved its mechanical properties, overcoming stress crack issues, increasing pressure ratings and improving hydraulic performance. Terms such as Medium Density (PE80) and then High

Performance (PE100) became the new norm in describing and specifying rural pressure pipe. The PE80 and PE100 designations refer to the pipe’s Minimum Required Strength (MRS), i.e. given the same wall-section, a PE100 pipe is 25 percent stronger than a PE80 pipe. PE100 is fast becoming the dominant pipe material for rural applications, offering a range of pressure options from 6.3-bar to 25-bar, with outstanding hydraulic performance and compatible with external fit metric compression fittings. These pipes are specified by their metric Outside Diameter (DN), Pressure Rating (PN) and Pipe Material (PE100).

In summary, a word from Iplex Rural Project Manager Pete Carswell – “In the 1,600 stock water design schemes I’ve been involved with over the last 15 years, I would have specified Low Density PE less than a handful of times. It still amazes me how much LDPE pipe is being used in New Zealand. Comparing LDPE to a Metric PN6.3 bar pipe, the LDPE will typically cost more per metre to purchase and deliver 30 percent less flow – why would you use it?” Article supplied by Iplex.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Securing your load — best practice The driver of any vehicle carrying a load is legally responsible for the safe and secure restraint of that load. All loads should be properly restrained so they cannot shift around in transit. When using tiedowns to secure a load, you’ll need to work out the capacity of the tiedowns – known as ‘lashing capacity’. Lashing capacity is aways half of the rated ‘break strength’. Fasten your load to the vehicle using as many tiedowns as required to achieve a combined lashing capacity equal to at least twice the weight of the load. A load of 300kg total weight requires a minimum of 600kg combined lashing capacity. Achievable with 2 x 300kg lashing capacity tiedowns or 3 x 200kg lashing capacity tiedowns and so on. • Replace any tiedowns with obvious wear and damaged webbing. Worn or cut webbing will dramatically reduce the break strength of the tiedown.

• Use a minimum of two tiedowns on any load. • Check your tiedowns during the journey and re-tension if necessary. • Put the load against a rigid part of the vehicle structure to help hold it in place. New Zealand made quality tiedowns The growing emphasis on the safe and proper use of ‘load restraint’ equipment requires products that are manufactured to demanding standards. As a New Zealand manufacturer, AEROFAST has complete control over the quality of every product which leaves the factory. The yarn is imported from Europe and is treated with a UV inhibitor, which is critical for New Zealand conditions. The webbings are designed to ensure minimal stretch and maximum wear resistance – key factors for tiedowns. Regular in-house testing is done on all components as well as finished

products to ensure that all AEROFAST products exceed the rated break strengths and meet the required New Zealand standards. The rural sector demands quality and durability beyond what is typically offered from imported alternatives. AEROFAST understands that high-use consumers don’t want to be replacing worn out tiedowns any more than is necessary. AEROFAST Tiedowns have been producing tiedowns in Christchurch for over 30 years and, while the business and products have continued to evolve over that time, one thing that hasn’t changed is the AEROFAST commitment to producing high quality, durable products that last. This commitment to quality has enabled AEROFAST to remain the leading tiedown brand in New Zealand. For more information, please talk to your friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Aerofast.

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Top trough tips to combat dry summer weather With the summer dry weather starting to hit some parts of New Zealand, now is the time to look at water troughs for the farm. The Stallion brand of water troughs are a good solution to the dry summer. Built to last, these strong troughs come with a 5 year warranty. All troughs are easy to transport and move into place without the use of hiabs or heavy lifting gear. Designed for a simple, DIY install, Stallion troughs have strong, rounded sides, giving them strength and durability.

Fitted with Hansen water valves, the troughs are designed for low and high pressure systems. Each valve sits under a valve cover to stop stock breaking it. The valve and cover can be installed quickly with minimum tools. 1) Place the trough on level ground. Make sure you don’t have any sharp objects such as sharp stones under the trough, as these can puncture the plastic over time.

From the popular WT80 to the largest WT1000, Stallion has a whole range of water troughs for farms and lifestyle units. For more information, please talk to your friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Stallion.

2) Use a level to make sure it’s even. 3) Attach the Hansen valve to the trough, screw the water pipe into the fitting and slide on the valve cover.

Stallion 120L Water Trough 103062 Stallion 80L Water Trough 103063

4) Open the valve and let the water fill the trough to the desired level.

• Strong and durable. • Rolled edge to maintain shape and strength. • Fitted with Hansen valve. • Easy to install. • 5 year warranty on trough.

You’ve probably herd if it’s not stallion...it’s not the best feeder

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